Girl Rising: A story worth sharing

If one billion rising campaign caught your attention towards collective protest across the globe for violence against women, this documentary feature should inspire you further to take a look at the lives of 9 girls from different countries who held on to their hopes and overcome obstacles to enable change by breaking barriers which bound them.

All those stories have being penned by writers from the country where these girls belong have also featured in this documentary, this initiative has found support from Intel Corporation and CNN. It has voice over narration from Hollywood A-List actors like Meryl Streep, Liam Neeson, Anne Hathaway, Salma Hayek, Cate Blanchett along with Indian actors like Priyanka Chopra and Freida Pinto.

Watch the video below and head over to 10 x 10 website which gives you more detail about this project and   is also accepting donation for supporting girl education programs via different charity organisations across various countries.

This movie is currently being screened on demand at theatres, hope it makes it screens in India via some film festival at least.

One girl with courage is a revolution

Samsung Galaxy Express: Redefining mid range phone category

Samsung, presently rubbing shoulders with Apple, be it the sales or the lawsuits, is not leaving any stoned unturned to be a frontrunner in the race. The rollout of Samsung Galaxy Express once again throws light on the fact that the brand intends to cater to all kinds of individuals from all strata of the society. What we all expect the Samsung Galaxy Express to be is a scaled down version of the Samsung Galaxy SIII and it does live up to the expectations. What keeps it ahead of the cookie- cutters is the fact that it runs on the Android latest Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 and 4GLTE.

Design:

A glimpse of the Galaxy Express will give out the impression that it is a replica of Galaxy SIII with respect to its appearance especially its rectangular shape and curved corners. Available in black, it comes with a capacitive back and menu button and a 4.5-inch display and weighs 4.8 ounces. While the right hand size fits in buttons like sleep/power button and the Micro-USB port, the left hand size houses volume rocker wherein the headphone jack measures 3.5mm. The built quality is also excellent irrespective of the fact that it is made of plastic.

Display:

Samsung Galaxy Express boasts of its  4.5 inch super AMOLED plus Capacitive Touch screen with a resolution of 480X800 pixel. The colours appear vibrant , icons look sharp and the display is bright  enough to be used across.

Features:

Powered by a 1.5GHz dual core processor, it ensures high speed streaming and download with the speed of AT & T and 4G LTE network. The Express runs on the latest version of Bluetooth v4.0 and supports Wi-Fi Direct, HSPA+, USB 2.0, MHL and NFC and comes with a number of pre- loaded apps including Gmail, Local maps with navigation, messenger, Magazine, books, TV, search, YouTube and Google Talk. Apart from that , the task manager apps comprise of Code Scanner that reads UPC, QR, Data Matrix bar codes, Family Map, Cloud storage and Data Mapping app and my At& T, etc.

The 5.0 auto- focus  camera with the Flash option,  a 1.3 MG front camera and an LED on the back, is the icing on the cake. The four shooting modes include 14 scene modes, five white balances, a timer, ISO  and metering  options, geo tagging, a timer, compositional lines and any array of other features, enabling you to experiment to the fullest and awaken the photographer in you.Thanks to the 2000mAh battery, the phone  offers 14 hours of talk time and 312 hours as a stand by mode.

Conclusion: 

Samsung Galaxy Express is pretty impressive taking into consideration its cost and the AT& T factor. While all its features and working seem predictive, the Jelly Bean updated device would be a great pick for the value driven users. Also Samsung currently has not released any official communication on launch of this phone for India, even possibility of eagerly anticipated Galaxy S3 mini launch prospects looks bleak. It would definitely help Samsung to release a non 4G version of Galaxy Express phone for India above their recently launched "Rex" feature phone range. 

This review is penned by experts @ Reliance Digital.

Clinics opening up to treat Social Media Addiction

Social Media addiction related cases keep springing up in the news, now many clinics have being coming up in UK to treat this behaviour, symptoms which we do not even think could place us in an addict category. What may thought was a passing phase in the world of technology has found a deep place in our day to day life to an extent even changing the way we grieve 

Read about a self confessed smartphone addict: Martha Roberts

In my observation Twitter has being a platform where some users keep tweeting every 10/15 mins, about every damn thing they are doing today. It gives them a high and they feel like celebs when followers re-tweet or comment on their tweets. Few days back Salman Khan's single word tweet "Hi" gathered so many retweets in few minutes goes to show what level of time are we wasting on stuff that does not require attention.

Leave your comments if you agree that excessive tweeting, Facebook status check and posting is going to cost us dear and probably change the way we interact with people around us socially while we are out.

Short Video feature: Pune Street Food

Check out an interesting short documentary feature made by a Pune student on street food in the city, commendable editing with subtitles to support Marathi translation, a touch of good background music would have improved the overall feel of the video.

Give your android device a windows mobile OS makeover

The new live tiles interface on Windows 8 desktop and mobile looks cool, with some interesting apps on Google play store you can provide your android phone/tablet a windows OS makeover, here's a look at few apps.

Launcher 8: This app provides WP8 style UI to your android home screen allowing enough customization features to workaround with, initially this app was not so stable, however the developer has worked actively on user feedback and keeps improving app functionality on regular basis.(Free download)

Messaging 7: Get WP7 Style Message pop up's with options to customize bubble color's along with emoticon support, this app is also under alpha phase and the developer is active on Google play working on App improvements, worth trying along with Metro Messaging Beta app, both free to download

Noozy: Noozy is a Zune style music player which looks elegant and smooth to operate, unfortunately it has being taken down from Google Play Store now, even without the windows theme factor this player is one of the best I have come across on android. 

You can listen to your music collection on the phone, it also features a video player. This app features a live music section which connects you to streaming audio content across various music categories, allows you to browse top artists, top tracks under charts section, also If you like listening to Podcasts you would not be disappointed.

Customization options based on windows tile theme is available in the app along with the sound enhancement options which you can try along with the equalizer feature. (Free app)

Windows 8 Ex Lumia Theme Pro: This one's a screen lock WP customization app, which requires go locker pre-installed for use. It comes with tile animation along with the clock display on the top, allowing you to set short cut to your favourite apps.(Paid app: INR 50)

Metrostation WP icon pack: There are few custom made WP themes based on UCCW launcher which are available on google play store, most of them are paid, you can download Metrostation WP Icon pack which works with ADW.Launcher or ADWLauncher EX. It has a massive library of close to 442 icons which can be customised for colour works well with contrasting scheme on wp tile. 

Another useful app that may work well with WP customization options listed above is Color Wallpaper, which is a simple wallpaper app that allows you to choose from various colour shades to set as home screen wallpaper which can be used along with Launcher8 app to improve tiles visbility. 

In case you happen to know some more windows customization apps which you have used on your android device, please share it in your comments to this article.

Nikon D5200 - A solid performer in the making

Labeling the camera as the one optimized for creativity and streamlined for flexibility, Nikon sets a new bar for mid range DX- Format DSLR Cameras with its D5200 that sports a CMOS Sensor with 24 million pixels and introduces a brand new 24.1 one of a kind megapixel sensor. A photographer’s heart is sure to skip a beat, comprehending that this digital camera has a 39-point AF and 2016 pixel RGB Sensor.

Resemblance or Inspiration?

While Nikon D5200 may seem a replica of its predecessor -D5100 to the naked eyes and hands, it is a little lighter and smaller, when compared. A few clicks and you will realize that it is a unification of Nikon D7000, D5100, and D3200.

More than Numbers

In an attempt to lure the creative minds, the HD-SLR camera ups the ante by introducing a number of features, awakening the photographer in you. Neither darkness nor positioning can hinder you from capturing your memories, now. Without being concerned about the position of the object, you can shoot from anywhere. Thanks to its 921,000-dot Vari-angle display, all that you need to do is hold the camera appropriately. 

The other most common problem that we succumb to, exposure to darkness and extreme brightness, while clicking, is put to rest. An in- built HDR allows you to click two shots at different exposures and renders a beautiful image, combining the two. Let your creative juices flow as you experiment with a number of built- in effects and filters that it encompasses. With its 24.1-megapixel DX-format CMOS image sensor and the NIKKOR Lenses, the camera promises real- life clarity attending to every detail.

In an era of social networking sites when likes and shares means the world to one, Nikon D5200 reckons with the need of the hour  and offers you with an Optional WU-1a Wireless Adapter for Wi-Fi that makes it possible to transfer your favorite images to Smartphone or tablet, instantaneously.

Nikon D5200 redefines video recording with its Full HD 1080P 60i since it captures moving objects perfectly along with face priority detection and takes into the picture around 35 faces in a scene. Detailing is at its best with the D-lighting capture for high – contrast scenes.

The Camera also offers a free accessory- a remote control that makes the most complex shots seem easier. For amateurs, there are varied options wherein you can choose to click objects moving predictably or rather even unpredictably. Besides, the camera also allows you to catch objects you never thought was possible in instances where it could not be framed in the viewfinder.

With D5200, Nikon once again proves why it is the most trusted brand other than Canon for photographers. While the camera could have innovated more with a touch screen for the LCD rather than serving to be an amalgamation of its precursors, it does not fail to impress one with its special features, filters, sensors and lenses and accomplishes the objective by compelling a photographer to go for a click. While amateurs may like it for the control it offers, experts may be enthralled to exhibit their artistry with the detailing it offers.

This review is penned by experts @ Reliance Digital.

Respect her freedom (video)

An effective video uploaded by Art of Living TV and VFABI, which captures the state of women in this country today aptly and appeals to all for rising to rights of women in this country and bring about a change within ourselves to see the change we want to see in our society. Please share this to video to support the campaign.

Pune Mall Mania

Pune's mall frenzy has reached a state where it could cost dear to retailers and real estate companies pumping money in setting up these swanky places which are turning into more of a recreational place to hang out, rather than actually promoting actual sales for shops leasing places at an expensive price.

Consider eastern belt of the city and you can note the actual distance at which these malls are located defies any commercial logic. These malls are located near Yerwada - Kalyani Nagar - Koregaon Park - Viman Nagar.

1) Ishanya Mall - Pulse Mall (2.5 km)

2) Pulse Mall - Phoenix Market City (1.9 km)

3) Phoenix Market City - Inorbit Mall (700 mts)

4) Jewel Square Mall - Koregaon Park Plaza (3.1 Kms)

5) Koregaon Park Plaza - Mariplex Mall (1.5 Kms)

Few years back Mariplex Mall was the only mall in this area and the rate at which malls have swelled goes to prove retailers and real estate companies would have sensed a potential for business which is not the case as per a recent Assocham report Pune's 42% mall space is still vacant.

Vendors like Croma electronics, Reliance book and digital store outlet, Spencer have closed shops and moved between these places maybe as a part of consolidation strategy, with so many options nearby it's eventually causing consumer fragmentation and malls purely survive on hypermarket, dining or pub outlets and multiplex presence with no significant value add for the consumers beyond these categories. In fact there are many well established restaurants in most areas of the city which do not require a mall presence.

Many of these malls have got on to social media platforms to attract visitors by organising weekend event's and contests etc. Apart from Phoenix Market City and Inorbit mall I doubt other malls are actually succeeding in retaining vendors or attracting shopper volumes, In fact Pulse mall is probably on the verge of closing shutters.

Some concentration of malls at M.G Road is still a better deal because as a location it offer's proximity to the  local shopping outlets which are already existing along with the malls. What Pune also lacks is a shopper's paradise like Manish market, Heera Panna in Mumbai, Nehru Palace, Palika Bazaar in Delhi etc. Maybe traditional spots in Peth area and Laxmi road bazaar could evolve in future to be such shopping destination for Pune.

For now I think mall mania should pause for some time to see how retail market develops in Pune.

Welcome to India documentary: Legacy of Jugaad

I can't remember if I have watched an inspiring documentary like this in recent times, opening up a view of Indian people's resilience to thrive in whatever situation they are, if you feel life has being unfair to you in any ways, there's a lot to learn from the characters shown in this documentary series, keeping aside of all they do and where they live and how they survive.

What you get to understand is that our dreams may never fall short of what we want to achieve and it presents us with opportunities to realise those dreams, only if we are ready to pick ourselves up from any obstacles that may trip us on the way, watch this 3 episode documentary that focuses on everyday lives of common people from cities like Mumbai and Kolkata mainly.

Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3

HTC Sensation XL: Does it still pack a punch?

HTC Sensation XL became a sensation with 4.7 inch display and beats audio technology, it has a sleek design with a vivid and vibrant appeal in a 9.9 mm slim phone body that comes with 16 GB Storage. A single core 1.5 GHz may feel outdated however it may be worth considering as an option amongst a slew of mid range android handsets flooding the markets currently.

Music at its best

Audiophiles will go gung- ho about this HTC Sensation with it roping in Beats Audio and it’s in- box customized Beats Headset promising the best sound quality you would have heard. The custom – made headset comes as the icing on the cake wherein the voice seems clearer and the bass, deeper and richer. 

Overall multimedia experience is enriching as the handset is equipped with SRS surround sound as well.

Camera and Video performance

Snapping photos with the 8 mega pixel camera on Sensation XL is swift and produces excellent images, pictures captured look vivid and sharp. As compared to Sensation XE it is able to reduce some level of noise in the images however does not eliminate them completely which is a difficult ask on a mobile camera with small sensors.

The HD camera on phone shoots videos at a resolution of 720p@30fps which is a decent config.

Performance and Battery life

HTC Sensation XL has an added advantage with 768 MB ram combined with 1.5 GHz processor gives you a commendable performance in terms of multitasking on phone, watching HD videos etc.  which is not the case with most mid range android phones that come with 512 MB ram.

This phone provides a smooth experience while using menus, transferring files, switching between apps and browsing is fast enough on HTC Sensation XL. With mixed use of multimedia, browsing with 3G, playing games and calling the battery should last for a day and even with heavy usage battery should last around 6 hours approx. 

Lack of memory slot does hurt overall value offered on this phone, however if you can do with the 16 GB memory and prefer using a sleek and an Android phone with good design without a powerhouse phone to suit your daily smartphone usage requirement, HTC Sensation XL may well fit the bill.

Information Source: Reliance Digital Stores

Complete history of Justice League of America

Justice League of America came into existence as Justice Society of America during 1940, when Superman and Batman were not a part of this elite team roster. This team of super heroes has being rebooted quiet a few times and various writers have mirrored reflections of society across years through this series.

Check out the video feature below that traces the journey of the Justice League

Chevrolet Beat - New advertisements arrive

Post the launch campaign was announced last year, General Motor's have released 5 new advertisement clips on their YouTube channel for Chevrolet Spark (Beat). The first one is titled as "Wanted" which captures the new radials with a fresh chrome styling below the grill around fog lights, all the new TVC's capture the essence of global presence of this car while it now prepares for a US launch.

Check out the first clip below, links to other videos

Inspiration Clip | Our Little World Traveller Clip | Chevy Spark Souvenirs | Adventurers

Pitfall - A classic arcade game

If you can't get enough of Temple Run game play on your Android device, here's another addictive running free to play arcade game that arrives on Google Play store by the name Pitfall, from Activision Publishing. which is inspired by the original 1982 game by the same name.

I must say it is a welcome change from lot of other games that started copying what Temple Run had done and your experience tends to get saturated playing games with similar theme and setting, I hoped Agent Dash would be little different, however it also followed almost same style of game play. In game character in this title is Pitfall harry who is your Indian Jones on the run with a hat and whip, backed with good background score that suits an adventure movie.

I liked the camera angles used in the game play that also allow you to play with a 2D scrolling screen display, a little variety in character moves while swiping up or down avoiding obstacles, check out the video below by AndroidCentral

Android Christmas 2012 App Sale

It's that time of the year when both Apple and Google have lot of good deals on their online app stores, probably the best time to download some noteworthy games and  popular apps. Get going and grab some apps from publisher's like EA, Gameloft, Rovio Mobile etc.

Here's a list of some of them on sale which I happened to browse through on Google Play store.

1) Wild Blood from Gameloft (Game) - $0.99
2) Max Payne Mobile (Game) - $0.99
3) Dead Space (Game) - $0.99
4) Need for Speed Most Wanted (Game) - $0.99
5) Plants vs. Zombies (Game) - $0.99
6) Grand Theft Auto 3 (Game) - $0.99
7) The Game of Life (Game) - $0.99
8) Monopoly Millionaire - $0.99
9) Tetris (Game) - $0.99
10) Order & Chaos Online (Game) - $0.99
11) Avengers Initiative (Game) - $0.99
12) Facedroid - Android Facebook (Social Networking) - $0.99
13) Draw Race 2 (Game) - $0.99
14) Car Dashboard pro (Utility) - $0.99
15) IM+ Pro - (Chat) - $0.99
16) Zombie Driver THD (Tegra Device compatible game) - $1.75
17) Call of Duty Black Ops Zombies (Game) - $2.99
18) Mini Motor Racing (Game) - $0.99
19) Cut the Rope HD (Game) - $0.99
20) Turbo Fly HD (Game) - $0.99
21) Sketchbook Mobile (Productivity) - $0.99
22) Clouds & Sheep Premium (Game) - $0.99
23) Guns'n'Glory (Game) - $0.99
24) OfficeSuite Pro 6 + (PDF & HD - Productivity) - $0.99
25) DocumentsToGo Full version key (Productivity) - $8.95
26) Amazing Alex HD (Game) - $0.99
27) Jotter (for Galaxy Note) - $1.99
28) Angry Birds Space HD (Game) - $0.99
29) Superbrothers Sword & Sworcery (Game) - $1.99

Watch Dogs - Everything is connected

If you had being following a series aired on Star World by the name Person of Interest, you would be in a better position to relate to the plot of this upcoming game from Ubisoft - Watch Dogs, another Open World Stealth game which has got me interested, it's trailer caught my attention on YouTube recently.

The much touted AI system rumoured to be the roving eye for the government to keep a watch on it's citizen is in the heart of this game, a concept in gaming never tried before. I can anticipate it would turn out to be a key element in driving the plot within the game and slow motion action stuff combined with stealth and skill also seems to be included in the game. 

I have being already awed by Far Cry 3 graphics this year, if you take a look at the game play trailer, there's a similar effort visible in capturing very detailed and natural ambient lights around the character, rain effect looks rich and pretty realistic, I already have few game titles on my wishlist for 2013 like Crysis 3, Army of Two 3, Splinter Cell Blacklist and now this one looks a promising contender too.

Check out the blackout trailer for this game

Visit the official site for this game to check out the demo showcased during E3 2012 event

Invisible Umbrella

The good old Umbrella has evolved over time from a plain black piece of cloth that has help us keep dry (at least some part of us) during rains, it could now witness a next step of evolution with a concept design by designers Je Sung Park and Woo Jung Kwon call the Air umbrella. 

This concept design aims to create a cover of air blown through a simple plastic stick keeping rain drops at bay, what remains to be seen is how it can work in real life as the intensity of rain needs to be gauged to match it with equal force of air blown through the stick.

You can read more about this here

Article courtesy: Gajitz

Smile Please - Optical Illusion with tattoo

Creative optical illusion created with a tattoo on the forearm by a tattoo artist Helma van der Weide from Netherlands with her her daughter Lotte van den Acker in this pic who is passionate about photography, a retro camera has being used to click this pic which was launched in 1957, the Asahi Pentax 35mm SLR

Internet - A Decade later

Check out an interesting video that takes a look at the interesting journey of internet since the last decade Video made by Matt Coady

The Internet: 2002 vs 2012 from Matt Coady on Vimeo.

Galaxy Note 2 packed with computing power

Galaxy Note 2 has sold impressive 5 million units in 2 months, this powerhouse phablet has being put to test in a video feature by a user coldfustion, showcasing how Note 2 can extend it's processor capability as a PC, Turns out this phone performs very well in complimenting basic computing requirements.

With JellyBean updates to roll across most recent Samsung flagship devices it would get interesting to see how would it improve the overall performance of this device, working around with floating browser on the LED monitor is great for multi tasking. Google is also planning to strengthen it's Chromebook positioning in a fiercely competitive portable computing market, however with mobile phones flexing processing power muscles do netbooks and low cost portable laptops stand a chance to compete?

Check out the video below

MobiBuzz Newsletter 1

News from mobile industry - What's buzzing?

What's The Best Strategy for monetizing mobile apps in India?

Check out this article from PCQuest which throws light on a discussion held at “Emerging era of mobility” panel at IT.Biz conference 2012, developer panel shared their views on how to take on the freemium model on a very strong Android platform in India.

Also take a look at some interesting statistics about mobile industry in India via the iShopper Mobile Trends Report here.

And check why 98% Indian traveller's are so into expressing their interests and opinions online about their travel experience.

Mobile phones have being known to cause relationship trouble not just between couples, but they are good enough to drive your friends away says a research report.

Did you Know! Texting is 20 years old now, The first SMS was sent on December 3, 1992, when a 22-year-old British engineer called Neil Papworth - an employee of the technology company Sema - used his computer to send the message "Merry Christmas" to an Orbitel 901 mobile phone.

Google Play inching in closer to iOS app store in 2012, however the trench of revenue earning potential is still a concern, check this article here.

There's a social networking app available for kids between age 5 - 13 years on iOS which goes by the name Everloop Goobit, read more about this here